Elevator



July'6, 1937. ofF. SHEPARD n 2,086,002

w WATTORNEYS July 6, 1937. o. F. SHEPARD 2,086,002

I ELEVATOR Y I Filed Angra?, 1954 s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR S Qafr I 'YIZIATTORNEY:

July 6, 1937. o. F. SHEPARD ELEVATOR -Filed Aug. 27, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 @uw f2 mdf ATToRN-r-:Ys

Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED srg'rss ELEVATOR Oscar F. Shepard, Cincinnati, Ohio Application August 27,

s claims.

This invention relates to improvements in elevators, particularly adapted for use in homes, in which the installation can be conveniently made in the existing home without major alterations to the building, generally nothing more than cutting a hole through the second story flooring.

An object of the invention is to provide an elevator preferably for home installation requiring no enclosure for the lower or ground floor of the building, the cam traversing in the open room on guide rails along the wall thereof and when not in service is stationed at the second floor out of the way, leaving only the rails exposed to the room below which may be finished to harmonize with the trimmings of the room.

Another object of the invention is to use a pair `of sprocket chains as a hoist for the cab, the chains having an overrun end free or slack, eliminating the use of counterweights and are suitably guided at the driving sprockets to prevent the chain climbing the sprockets or the slack end from adhering to the sprockets.

Another object of Ythe invention is to operate the Yelevator upon the house lighting circuit to avoid making special power feed line installations to the building and in adapting the use of a single phase alternating current induction motor for elevator service together with a system of control for a simple, safe and eicient operation.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully set Vforth in a description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a two floor elevator installation, preferably for homes, the cab shown at lower floor, free from enclosure or hatchway with parts broken away for the. second floor portion to better illustrate the supporting structure thereof.

Figure 2- is a vertical sectional view through the upper floor closet-like enclosure of the hatchway, and the cab shown in side elevation located at its upper or second floor limit.

l Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on the centerline of upper floor enclosure, the car shown in elevation and located somewhat below its upper limit and with certain portion broken away.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4 4, Figure 3, showing the upper portion lof car in front elevation and with upper or top panel thereof removed to illustrate the supporting Vin top structure of the car.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional View takenron line 5 5 of Figure 2, with hatch door shown 1934, Serial No. 741,576

(Cl. IS7- 17) ajar and showing elevating mechanism and elevator cab in top plan. i

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 6 6, Figure'i, and showing a main power control cut-out switch operable on breakage'of the lift chain.

Figure 'l is a perspective view of the car connection of one of the lift chains, emergency brake and cut-out switch leverage assembly.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view as on the line 8 8, of Figure, showing emergency brake in use, dot and dash lines showing normal position.

Figure 9 `is a detail perspective View of an 'equalizer device Vused in conjunction with the two elevatingV chains. 0 j

The elevator is primarily adapted to be installed in homes for two licor service, motor driven and the electric power taken' from the regular house lighting circuit. be readily made in an existing home as well as one being constructed by merely cutting an opening through the second floor flooring slightly'` larger than the size of the cab.

In the arrangement disclosed, therst floor preferably has no enclosure, nor is it necessary to cut into the secondffloor ceiling. The cab normally is stationed at the second floor as a closure for the second floor opening, and'with the cab stationed at the second floon'all that is Visible `on the first floor are two Vsmall rails along Ythewall of the lower or first oor, which may be painted to match Ythe wall covering. This permits the elevator to be installed in the average width of Vhall or entranceway without being an obstruction and the cab for a minimum size occupies ailoor space of about 30 x 30". No major alterations of the building are required.

Installation can For the second floor, .a .self-supporting steel frame structure is provided, set against a wall of the second floor aboutthe opening through the ooring which can be enclosed, and having a door for the front side.

The elevator is button operated and the cab does not move until all safety precautions have been taken care of; The cab at its lower side, where no enclosure; is .provided for the lower floor, is equipped with means eifective'under'the slightest touch for Aautomatically stopping the cab, the' slightest obstruction placed therebeneath in the path of the descendingr cab will stop its descent,therefore there is nohazard to anyone vstanding on the lower floor beneaththe, descending cab. Y

Referring to the drawings,Figures 1, 2 and 3,

I indicates the elevator Icab constituting a steel framework, three of the sides enclosed and a front opening with a folding sliding door. A steel or metal framework 2 is provided for the second oor, suitably secured in place over the second floor opening. The framework includes a pair of channel rails 3, 3 respectively, at the rear corners thereof and extended downwardly along the wall of the first floor room to the base thereof. With the cab stationed at the second oor, the railsonly are Visible from the first floor.

The steel frame 2 is preferably enclosed with any of the various types of building materials, suitable for such purposes, which include a door 4 for the front side and the enclosure nished and decorated to correspond with that of the room in which it is located. The steel frame structure 2 is preferably made: of the same structural iron bars or rails for the vertical corner posts land top cross bars connecting the posts together with tie strips in horizontal and angular arrangement, particularly at the top or head end of the frame.

An electric motor 5 and transmission is mount- Aed within the upper end of the framework, and,

as illustrated, the motor is mounted upon and bolted to spaced channel iron bridge bars 6, 6 having their opposite ends fixed respectively to the top cross bars of the steel frame structure.

The cab hoist comprises a pair of sprocket chains '-l, 'I in parallel spaced arrangement with one end fixed to the top framework of the cab. Each chain respectively is engaged over a sprocket wheel 8 `ofthe motor transmission, the sprocket Wheels 8 for the two chains being respectively fixed upon and at opposite protruding ends of a cross shaft 9 journalled in a transmission casing l0 shown as a part of the motor casing. The shaft 9 is driven by suitable gearing connected with the motor shaft housed within the transmission casing Iand in general constitutes a worm wheel fixed to the cross shaft 9 meshing with Ya worm fixed to or a part of the motor shaft II,

. From the sprocket wheel 8, the chain continues over a pair of -circumferentially grooved idler wheels I2I3, relatively progressively arranged and disposed at diiferent elevations to direct the slack or non-loading carrying end of the chain to the rear of the framing and into the space between the cab and building wall. The chain loops about the underside of the idler I2, next adjacent the sprocket wheel 8, centered below the axis of the sprocket wheel to insure maximum toothengagement with the sprocket Wheel, and thence over the top of the idler wheel I3 adjacent the idler wheel I2, s'et at a higher elevation for a maximum chain contact with the peripheries of the idler wheels and the idlers tracking the chain teclear the car andassume a minimum head room. This permits the use of sprocket wheels and sprocket chains for hoisting elevator car or cab, the chains having a taut portion connecting with the cab and with an over-running end free or slack.

A guard I4 of curved vform is suitably fixed upon the transmission casing I0 above the sprocket wheel 8 and portion of chain engaged thereon for preventing the chain from climbing the sprocket or becoming disengaged therefrom.

VA second guard I5 is secured to the transmission; casingV at the lower side of the sprocket wheel straddling the teeth-thereof and serves to prevent the slack end of the chain from remainingon `the sprocketand wrapping under the taut end which would wedge the chain from the sprocket teeth.

Guards of duplicate construction are provided for each of the sprocket wheels and chains and a pair of chains are employed for safety purposes and also enables the use of a lighter weight or size of chain of standard commercial make.

The taut ends of the chains each are respectively xed to a projecting end of a lever arm I8 xed to and projecting from a rock shaft I9 journalled at oneend within a bearing mounted upon the cab framing. The rock shaft I9 for both chains are coaxially arranged with their inner ends abutting and loosely engaged within a sleeve 20 for supporting continuity. The lever arms I8 in sustaining the load of the cab, bear or are engaged against a cross beam 2I of the cab framing. The cross beam constitutes a pair of channel iron beams in X formation with an angle plate 22 joined to the forward side of the central meeting portions ofthe channel beams against the underside of which the lever arms I8 bear or contact when under load sustaining stress. l l

Each rock shaft I9 is provided with a secondY lever 23 fixed upon the outer end thereof and extending inwardly into a respective channel rail 3 at a corresponding side of the cab. The free end of the lever arm 23 at opposite sides thereof has a, pair of wedge bars 24-24 rigidly xed thereon, each wedge bar engaging between the base of the rail and an inturned flange 25 thereof and constituting a safety clamp which hangs the cab from the rails in the event of hoist chain breakage.

As long as the cab is suspended from the hoisting chain or chains, the chain connecting lever arms contact with the lower side of the cross beam of the cab framing, canting the wedge bars through their connection with the respective cross shafts I 9 to a degree to free the same from wedging contact with the channel rails. The instant the chain ceases to sustain the cab, the springs force the rock shafts to swivel, causing the wedge bars to be Wedgingly engaged with the rails, holding the cab against descent. Therefore, at the slightest degree of drop of the cab when not sustained by the chains, the load upon the lever arms I8 is transferred to the levers 23, hanging the cab to the rails.

In Figure 8 the parts in full line are shown with the wedge bars 24 gripped or wedged within the rail and in the same View, in dot and dash lines, in a released position in which the rock shaftis shown as at a slightly higher elevation from its position shown in solid. .This represents the susceptible drop the cab may take when released from its chain suspension to a position locked against descent to the rails.

The guide rollers 26 preferably are in tandem arrangement, each set carried by a bracket 2l fixed to the elevator cab framing. The upper set of rollers fixed to the head end of the cab normally ride upon the inturned flange of ,the rails while the lower set of rollers fixed to the base end of the cab ride upon the base of the rail. This stabilizes the cab so that the rollers wheel as well as guide the cab in its travel, eliminating any chatter of the cab.

The elevator being primarily for home yservice operates upon the ordinary commercial v'house electric light circuit. The motor, therefore, must be either a direct current or a single phase alternating current. Of the direct current motors there are two types known as shunt or series.

The shunt type is of constant speed While the series type varies inspeed with load. Therefore, the shunt type is only used for elevator work.

There are three general types of alternating current motors, series type corresponding to the direct current series motor, the repulsion type which has the same characteristics as the series motor, and the induction type which has the same characteristics as the shunt direct motor having practically constant speed. Therefore, the induction motor is adopted for elevator purposes. However, a simple single phase induction motor will not start from rest and musthavefsome sort of a starting device to give it'direction of rotation and bring it up to nearly synchronous speed when the starting device is disconnected.

When operating as a straight induction motor, any changes in the connections'or reversal of the circuit will not reverse the motor. After once being started, it must be brought to a stop or nearly to a stop before reversal can be had. The great diiculty in the past with the use of single phase motors for elevators or in places where a positive reversal is required is the hazard of having the motor operate in the wrong direction by sudden reversal of the operating switches, so that the motor does not stop at the limits of travel.

The employment of a single phase induction motor necessitates the system of control, that on any interruption of the circuit after the car is started, the motor must come to rest orto sufficiently slow speed so that the starting device is reinstated before another start can be made. In the present control system by means of an electric interlock connection on the up and down direction switches and a governing interlock switch on the motor itself, it is impossible to have the direction switches reversed and the motor continued to operate in the wrong direction.

A commercial starting device with which some manufacturers of single phase induction motors are equipped is utilized in connection with an interlock switch on the motor to operate coincidentally with the cutting in and out of the start-- ing device. The automatic control of the interlock switch may be separate from the motor or starting device therefor, and constitute a switch in the elevator control system primarily for rendering the motor control ineffective until the motor comes to rest or slows down in speed at which motor reversing is practical.

In Figure 9 a modified form of connection of the chain hoist with the cab is illustrated. The

ends of both chains are respectively connected such as will appropriately correspond to the nish and furnishings and room to not detract when stationed at the first floor.

It is necessary to provide some form of closure for the open side of the cab. The closure em-V ployed is of a type compactly foldable or co1- lapsible against an inner side of a side wall of the cab, easily operated and will not incommode passengers in folding or collapsing the door.

As shown in the drawings, the door opening is for the full Width of the cab and the door or closure is composed 'of four panels 44, hingedly connected along their longitudinal edgespreferably by fpiano type of hinges and arranged for an accordion fold of the panels. One of the end panels is hingedly fixed to one of the side walls of the` cab, and the panel for the opposite end of the door at its upper end is sustained by a hanger 45 sliding or riding upon a rail orrod 46. Likewise the door may be intermediately sustained by one ormore hangers 45 riding upon the rail 46, the hangers being preferably connected at the hinged connections ofthe panels.

In this instance wherein the cab is not enclosed for the lower or rst oor, the down limit automatic control is applied to the lower side ofV .the floor of the elevator and effective by a slight pressure thereagainst so that the elevator can be stopped atany point in its descent.-

Aplate or diaphragm 58 ismovably suspended is connected with the plate or diaphragm and at 9 the opposite end with one end of a lever 6l pivoted upon a plate 62 of the elevator cab top framing. The lever 6l engages witha lever 63 of a sp-ring switch 64 mounted upon the plate62 sof the cab upper framing.

-The Weight of the diaphragm 58 sustains a switch actuating lever 6l in depressing contact with the switch lever 63, holding the .electric .circuit contacts of the switch closed. Any slight upward pressure upon the diaphragm releases the electric switch breaking a motor controlling circuit, stopping the elevator descent. This safety control is effective upon the slighest movement of the diaphragm and by a depressing contact against the diaphragm at any point in its entire area, and serves as the stop switch when the car reaches the lower floor.

While `the rst floor has been Shown .without enclosure, an enclosure similar to the upper floor may be utilized.

Also, the elevator may be used to serve three or more floors in which case all the upper floors must be enclosed.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In an elevator, an elevator cab, an electric motor driven transmission for hoisting said elevator, including a pair of sprocketwheels, a pair of sprocket chains respectively transmittingly engaged Ywith said sprocket wheels, each having an end connecting with the cab and the opposite sprocket over-run end free, idler wheels respectively in alignment with each of said sprocket wheels and disposed relatively for chainV contact with the peripheries of theidlers and sprocket wheels fortracking the non-load-sustaining portion of the chain away from the sprocket wheels to prevent the same from jumping the sprocket wheel and wrapping around the sameY t0 guidingly transmit the free end of Said chains from the sprocket wheels.

2. In an elevator, an elevator cab, an electric motor driven transmission for Vhoisting vsaid elevator, including a pair of sprocket Wheels, a pair of sprocket chains respectively transmittingly engaged with said sprocket Wheels, each having an end connecting with the cab and the opposite sprocket overrun end free, and guide means for each sprocket wheel, idler wheels respectively in alignment with each of said sprocket Wheels and disposed relatively for maximum chain Contact with the peripheries of the idlers and sprocket wheel for tracking the non-load-sustaining portion of the chain from the sprocket Wheel and to avoid interference therewith to divert the free portion of the chain from the sprocket wheel.

3. An elevator for home installation, comprising, a framing adapted to be stationed upon the floor and about an opening therethrough of an uppermost oor to be served by the elevator for sustaining the elevator cab and transmission mechanism therefor, the framing receiving the elevator cab when serving said uppermost floor, a pair of spaced guide rails forming post elements of said framing and extending downwardly therefrom, each rail of channel form in cross section, the opposite flanges thereof having in'- turned longitudinal margins for guiding and laterally conning the elevator cab for its full length of travel, an elevator cab having roller journalling carriages arranged in upper and lower sets, mounted upon a wall of the cab, each for engagement into a rail for roller traction therein and translatably sustaining the cab in a position projected from the rails, transmission mechanism carried by said framing having a hoisting connection With said cab, a oatng safety platform dependingly sustained from the bottom 0f the cab floor and of a corresponding area therewith and connected thereto by a bellows-like enclosure, and transmission control means operatively connected with said platform, functioning upon depressing said platform toward the cab oor.

OSCAR F. SHEPARD. 

